Quick query about making my own Christmas Cake

zippychick

i would also go for the soup or roasted and spicy is yummy!!! I made BNS chips the other day

we have a thread full of ideas, let us know how you get on and we will merge this later

Zip

Fran2584

There's a gorgeous pastry slice thingy I buy from our local shop that has butternut squash, feta cheese, bits of red pepper and some black pepper on it, could maybe get a sheet of puff pastry and chuck all those things on it:) x

cazzab_2

Hi - please can someone help me?? This afternoon I have made a cake (Be-Ro Christmas cake) which is for my son's christening. I have used 1 1/2 times the quantity and I am baking it in a 10inch square tin. I'm not sure how much longer it should be in the oven. It's had almost 3 1/2 hours now, but I don't want to keep opening the oven door to check in case I spoil it. It's on Gas 2. Please help!!

Stephen_Leak

Another vote for BNS soup ...

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

500g of butternut squash
1 clove of garlic
½ an onion
1½ tablespoons of oil
½ a tablespoon of lemon juice
½ a teaspoon of mixed herbs
1 vegetable stock cube
500ml of water
Ground pepper to taste

METHOD

Cut the butternut squash into quarters, remove the peel and seeds, and chop it into 2cm (1 inch) pieces. Peel the garlic and cut it into quarters. Peel the onion, cut it in half, chop one half into 2cm (1 inch) pieces and save the other half.

Put the oil into a saucepan on a medium heat. Fry the garlic and onions for about 2 minutes until the onion is soft but not coloured. Stir frequently to stop it sticking.

Add the butternut squash and continue to cook for another 3 minutes. Stir frequently to stop it sticking.

Add the herbs, lemon juice, stock cube and water. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat until it is just boiling (simmering). Put the lid on the saucepan and continue to cook for another 20 minutes until the pumpkin is soft.

If you have a food processor, put the soup in it and blend it to the desired consistency. If you have a hand blender, put it in the soup and blend it to the desired consistency. If you don’t have a food processor or hand blender, use a potato masher, press the soup through a sieve with the back of a spoon, or leave it lumpy. If you used a food processor, rinse out the saucepan and put the soup back into the saucepan.

Put the saucepan on a low heat and reheat the soup gently.

Season with the pepper.

ADDITIONS & ALTERNATIVES

At Halloween, use pumpkin instead of butternut squash. Vampires should, of course, omit the garlic.

Add ¼ of a teaspoon of ground ginger, at the same time as the herbs and lemon juice.

Garnish with either a swirl of either crème fraîche, fromage frais, natural yoghurt or single cream, or a sprinkle of chopped chives or parsley.

happy35

it makes a nice filling for lasagne, if you season it with rosemary

VJsmum

We had some today out of the freezer with our roast pork, it was mashed and OH added a dollop of horseradish. It was bloody delicious.

zippychick

Have you taken it out yet?

there are a couple of chrissie cake threads

Quick query about making my own christmas cake

recipe for christmas cake

we also have a fruit cake thread and one about scaling up cake recipes

We will merge this later

Zip

cazzab_2

Thank you, I will have a look now. I'm having a nightmare as I tested it and it seemed cooked so I took it out and let it cool. When I took it out of the tin the bottom didn't look very well done so I thought it would be a good idea to turn it upside down, pop it back in the tin and stick it back in the oven. Anyway, on doing so I've managed to split the cake down the middle. It's back in the oven now...

cazzab_2

OK, I'm back. Think I over-cooked the last cake - it also wasn't very deep. Attempt number 2 is currently in the oven and I have doubled the quantity this time. Wish me luck....!

mo1_2

can everyone tell me what they put round there christmas cake and were they bought it,last year i couldnt find any?